The School Board of Broward County, Florida unanimously approved a contract with Safe Havens International, Inc. (Safe Havens) to provide independent security and risk assessment consultant services for Broward County Public Schools. To watch the discussion at the School Board meeting, visit eduvision.tv/l?eAADmg.

Safe Havens will conduct comprehensive risk assessments of every District school (this does not include charter schools) in Broward County.  The assessments will be completed in two distinct phases to expedite the completion of the work.  The first phase will include a physical assessment at each school to identify the physical security measures and building systems. The first phase will be completed during the summer.  The second phase will include an assessment at each school to review school operations and discuss potential vulnerabilities with school administration, staff and students.  In addition to these assessments, Safe Havens will also provide the following services to the District:

• Review all District security policies and practices, and conduct a gap analysis against best practices;
• Review all safety and security training programs and offer recommendation for expansion and enhancement;
• Review and evaluate the feasibility of implementing various security vendor offerings and solicitations;
• Review the District’s current building construction design criteria, and offer recommendations for revision to incorporate best security practices;
• Assist the District with its competitive grant application to the Florida Department of Education in order to secure non-recurring funding that has been allocated or capital security enhancements to schools;
• Produce a final master plan report detailing the results of the various analyses, short and long-term recommendations for enhancements of existing security measures, as well as estimated costs for implementation of such recommendations; and
• Participate in public hearings with the community to share the results of the risk assessments and their recommendations.

With the approval of the contract, Safe Havens will immediately begin deploying resources to initiate the first phase of the project.

 “This work is critical as we move forward to enhance safety and security in our schools across the District,” said BCPS Superintendent Robert W. Runcie.

Safe Havens is a leader in the safety and security industry, with particular expertise in the assessment of educational facilities and has assisted with safety, security, climate and emergency preparedness assessment for more than 6,000 public, private, independent, and charter school sites. This includes conducting security assessments for five of the largest school districts in America, including Orange County Public Schools and Hillsborough County Public Schools in Florida.